Looking in All the Wrong Places
by allthestars
Summary: New to Forks and newly divorced Edward has only one focus: looking after his three year old daughter. Bella wasn't exactly looking for a new romance either. You'd be surprised who you meet in the grocery story. ALL HUMAN. REG PAIRING.
1. Prologue

Hey all! I was feeling a little bored tonight, and I've had this idea in my head for a little while, so I decided to write out a prologue to see who all responds to it. Overall the story will be about a PG-13 rating for language. I can't make total promises, but I might be doing some updating this weekend (also depending on the reviews…) I will definitely have more details in the first chapter, but for now, enjoy the short prologue for, "Looking in All the Wrong Places."

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><p>I internally cursed as I stumbled into Newton's grocery store for the rice that Alice had to have at six in the morning. I don't even wake up this early for work, but Alice just had to wake me up because she had to make dinner for her date tonight with Joe…Jake…Jazz? Whoever the hell it was, he was cutting into my beauty sleep. Pixie and her new man are on my hate list.<p>

I grabbed a cart, thinking that I might as well get some snacks just to piss Alice off, seeing that she was so health conscious. I quickly located said rice and headed for the cereal aisle in search of something sugary and delicious.

As I made a quick right to head into the next aisle, I was quickly snapped out of my daze as my cart crashed into another.

"Shit, I'm sorry, I wasn't even…" My deep voiced bumper cart mumbled, but suddenly cut off. Wondering why he wasn't talking, I looked up from my cart, and into the most beautiful green eyes I had ever seen. I know it's rude to stare, but this man was gorgeous. He had the messiest bronze hair, but somehow, it worked for him. His tight black t-shirt revealed his muscles, and I was sold. I felt like I was back to my teenage years again.

"…My fault it was…" Shit. I couldn't even phrase a sentence correctly around him. "Sorry, it was my fault. Wasn't looking." I giggled, hoping I wasn't too tragically desperate.

He chuckled and ran a hand through his bronze locks. "I don't mind. It's still early. I'm just trying to find my way to the cereal aisle."

"You just missed it, I was just heading there myself." I mentioned, trying and failing not to stare.

"Well we can go there together. I'm Edward by the way, just moved here…" He smiled and held out his hand.

"Bella." I smiled back and shook his hand. "I've lived in Forks most of my life. I hope you enjoy rain."

"I don't think I'll mind the rain that much." He smiled and turned his cart around.

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><p>AWW (: Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy! Please review! This first part was in Bella's POV, but the story will take place in Bella and Edward's POV, and like I mentioned above, more details will come soon! Have a good day!<p> 


	2. Chapter 1

Hola! Thank you so much to all who added my story and reviewed! It's currently Thursday morning, so I'm hoping to have this out and edited before lunchtime today! If not, definitely later tonight. I'm going to make a few notes below, so please refer to those, but please ask if you have any questions! Have a great Thursday!

Ages: (We'll have a few more characters added in, but these are mostly the original characters for now.)

Edward Cullen: 28

Bella Swan: 26

Alice Brandon: 26

Jasper Hale: 29

Rosalie Hale: 29

Emmett Cullen: 30

Enjoy chapter one!

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><p>Edward POV<p>

I woke up with a groan when I heard my alarm go off. 5:15 am. Why the hell hadn't I just run to the grocery last night and save myself another 45 minutes to sleep? Without a moment to think, I hear "Daddy!" being yelled from the next room. I immediately jump out of bed at the sound of the little voice, trip on a toy car and fall flat on my ass. Shit, Damn, Balls. It's going to be one of those days.

After my tragic fall, I make my way into Emily's room. She's climbed her way out of her crib and is now smiling up at me, while playing with her barbies. Note to self: It's time for a big girl bed. I can never be mad at my baby girl. At three years old, she's a genius. She can talk her way out of any situation where she could possibly be in trouble. Sometimes, I think she's a teen rather than a toddler. She's also the prettiest baby I've ever seen, though I may be partial to the fact that she's mine. The only thing I pity the kid for is her messy bronze curls like mine. Otherwise, she has the cutest button nose and blue eyes.

Not that her mother would care. Internally, I hate Tanya with all my being, but when I talk to anyone else about her, I act like it's not a big deal. When Tanya and I were finalizing our divorce a few months ago, I didn't mind. I knew we had fallen out of love. But when she told me she wanted to "live her life" and thought that Emily would be best to live with me full time, I was crushed. Of course I had wanted Emily with me all the time, but I knew this little girl would want her mom sometime soon.

My thoughts were quickly interrupted by a Barbie doll thrown at my forehead. "Daddy! You be Ken!" she giggled, handing me the doll.

I laughed and rubbed my head. "We don't throw dolls, baby girl," I noted, picking her up. "Plus, we have to eat breakfast so we can go to grandma and grandpa's!"

Her face immediately lit up, and suddenly she was starving.

I had moved to Forks to be closer to my family. I moved out to Seattle with Tanya to start a family, and when that fell apart, I knew I had to go back. Thankfully I was able to get a counselor job at the local high school, and my mother offered to babysit while I was working. I felt bad, but my mom assured me that she was lonely without any children running around her home. I had just moved into my own house about ten minutes away, and currently my brother, Emmett and his girlfriend, Rosalie were travelling across the country.

I quickly fed and dressed Emily and threw on jeans and a black t-shirt, as I was heading to the grocery before work. I dropped Emily off to my parent's house at about 6 am and headed to Newton's Grocery store. The only thing we had in my new house was frozen pancakes and milk, so I thought it'd be a good idea to do a little shopping so I don't take a hungry three year old to the store later.

I grabbed a cart and looked at the store, blanking. I hated being in a new grocery store, or one I hadn't walked into in forever. You can never find anything you need. In search of the cereal, I passed up a few aisles and slammed into a cart coming out of an aisle.

"Shit, I'm sorry, I wasn't even…" I tried to apologize, but couldn't stop staring. She had the most beautiful brown eyes and brown hair. I couldn't just let her get away without getting her number first. Forward much, Cullen? You can't bang the first girl you meet in Forks.

Bella POV

I was having an amazing dream about a pool full of chocolate until a piercing voice came into my head.

"BELLAAAAA." No please. Let me sleep for 10 more minutes without interruption.

"BELLAAAA. Wake up! NOW." And I was up. I slowly opened my eyes to see Alice ten inches from my face, grinning at me.

"Holy shit. Why are you always so happy?" I groaned as I looked at the clock. "ALICE. It's 5 freaking 30!"

"I know that, but I need a favor! Can you please please please go to the store for me? I have to make dinner tonight and I really need it because I have to go straight to work now and I won't get off until four and my date starts at five, so if I go to the grocery, I won't have enough time to…"

"Okay, okay, guilt trip has worked. You owe me." I groaned. I threw on a pair of yoga pants, a t-shirt and ran a brush through my hair. I grabbed her list and headed out. Style be damned at 5:30.

I climbed into my car and took off in the direction of the store. I loved Alice, I really did. It was just moments like this that made me want to scream. I had lived in Forks my entire life, so when I went to college a few hours away, I was scared. Everyone I had known had been there. Of course, my parents missed me but they thought it would be good for me. At orientation, a 4'10, short, black-haired pixie came running towards me. Apparently she said that we went to elementary school together but she had moved away. I didn't believe her until we roomed together and she showed me old yearbooks. I felt bad for not remembering her, but she doesn't hold it against me too often.

We became so close throughout college and as soon as we graduated, I didn't know what I was going to do without her. I had studied to be an English teacher and Alice had become a fashion major. She was currently working at a local department store until she could work her way up. Anyway, we couldn't dream of living with any other roommates, so Alice moved back to Forks with me and we got an apartment. It was great, besides mornings like this one.

I internally cursed as I stumbled into Newton's grocery store for the rice that Alice had to have at six in the morning. I don't even wake up this early for work, but Alice just had to wake me up because she had to make dinner for her date tonight with Joe…Jake…Jazz? Whoever the hell it was, he was cutting into my beauty sleep. Pixie and her new man are on my hate list.

I grabbed a cart, thinking that I might as well get some snacks just to piss Alice off, seeing that she was so health conscious. I quickly located said rice and headed for the cereal aisle in search of something sugary and delicious.

As I made a quick right to head into the next aisle, I was quickly snapped out of my daze as my cart crashed into another.

"Shit, I'm sorry, I wasn't even…" My deep voiced bumper cart mumbled, but suddenly cut off. Wondering why he wasn't talking, I looked up from my cart, and into the most beautiful green eyes I had ever seen. I know it's rude to stare, but this man was gorgeous. He had the messiest bronze hair, but somehow, it worked for him. His tight black t-shirt revealed his muscles, and I was sold. I felt like I was back to my teenage years again.

"…My fault it was…" Shit. I couldn't even phrase a sentence correctly around him. "Sorry, it was my fault. Wasn't looking." I giggled, hoping I wasn't too tragically desperate.

He chuckled and ran a hand through his bronze locks. "I don't mind. It's still early. I'm just trying to find my way to the cereal aisle."

"You just missed it, I was just heading there myself." I mentioned, trying and failing not to stare.

"Well we can go there together. I'm Edward by the way, just moved here…" He smiled and held out his hand.

"Bella." I smiled back and shook his hand. "I've lived in Forks most of my life. I hope you enjoy rain."

"I don't think I'll mind the rain that much." He smiled and turned his cart around.

We made our way to the cereal aisle, and continued talking about Forks. He had actually lived here before, but moved to Seattle. By the time we made it to the checkout line, I hadn't even remembered what I had thrown into my cart. I just couldn't stop staring at his smile.

Edward walked me out to my car and helped me load my bags into his trunk. I really wanted to continue talking to him, but I didn't want to seem too desperate. Damn it Bella, who cares. Just do it.

"Do you think I could have your number? I know this seems forward, but I'd like to get coffee with you sometime, unless you don't want to, then that's fine, but…"

"Edward, I'd loved to have coffee with you." I interrupted and his face broke out into a grin.

He quickly put the number into his phone and smiled. "I'll call you soon, Bella."

I sat in my car for a few minutes, stunned. Had that really happened? I had been talking to a complete stranger for about 20 minutes and I was already in love with him. I kept my cell phone close by, just in case. "Damn it Bella," I thought, "You've got it bad."

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><p>Chapter one is done, and it's 12:04 my time. Yay for productiveness! I hope you guys like it! I had some confusion last time about relationships in my first story so if there's any questions, just ask. The last names above may give some hints, but I know sometimes that writing can leave out some details! Thanks guys!<p> 


	3. Chapter 2

Ahhh! Thank you to all for your adding and reviews! You all are amazing! I'm on a roll today for writing. I've got some time on my hands this weekend so I want to try to get as many chapters out as I can! Also, I'm really into reading , so if you guys have any Twilight fanfics that you're working on, or have completed, shoot me a pm and I'll take a look at it. I'm really into romantic stories! Anyway, enjoy chapter two!

I should probably add that the characters do not belong to me; they belong to Stephenie Meyer.

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><p>Bella POV<p>

I drove home, nearly hyperventilating over Edward. When would he call? What would he say? Where would we go? What should I wear? Ugh. Now I was just thinking like Alice.

As soon as I reached the apartment, I put Alice's beloved rice on the counter, complete with a post-it note saying, "You owe me, bitch." Realizing that it was almost seven am, I quickly jumped into the shower and got ready for work. Leaving my hair wavy and adding a little makeup, I threw on khakis and a nice white blouse.

With five minutes to spare, I pulled up in front of Forks High School, or as I call it, Hell. Don't get me wrong, I love being an English teacher, but the freshmen that I teach don't take anything seriously. Things hadn't changed since I graduated about eight years ago.

Just as the bell rang, I kicked my bag under my desk and quieted my class. "Pull out your textbooks and turn to "Romeo and Juliet" please. I'd like to discuss what you read for homework last night." I smiled. All of the boys groaned, some half asleep. It was going to be one of those days.

I spent the first fifteen minutes of class discussing the different characters of the play with about three out of my 28 students. I knew English wasn't exciting to fifteen year olds, but I really wasn't in the mood for this today. What I really wanted to do was run behind my desk and check my cell phone.

"Alright," I sighed and closed my book. "Since no one feels like talking today, let's write. For tomorrow, I'd like a three page essay discussing the different themes that we've encountered so far in the play."

That definitely woke them up, especially the boys in the back. They broke out into protests and groans, and I really didn't want to be known as "the mean teacher," but I was only focused on one person today.

"Be happy that I'm at least giving you guys the last 35 minutes of class." I smiled faintly and turned back to my desk. I know for sure that I got some dirty looks.

The day passed by painfully slow, and still no call or text message. As the morning moved on, my students were becoming more and more rowdy, seeing that Thanksgiving break was just a week away, and no one wanted to do any work. I was feeling grumpy and anxious, so I ended up giving all my classes essays. Sorry kids.

During my planning period, I headed down to the main office to make copies and check my mailbox.

"Well Mr. Cullen, I think you'll adapt very well to our school. Do you think you can find your way back to your new office?" our secretary, Mrs. Cope asked.

"Yes, down the main hall, then to the left, right?" I immediately froze. I knew that voice. Edward worked here? I quickly dropped my mail and peered around the corner. There he was, with his back turned to me. He was wearing khaki pants and a light blue dress shirt. And believe me, he could pull the look off.

Not sure what to do, I ran back to my mail as he began to turn around. I heard the footsteps come closer, then immediately stop.

"Bella?" He asked, laughing a little. I looked up, pretending like I had just seen him for the first time.

"Edward? You work here too?" I bit my lip, smiling.

"Yes, well I just started today as the new counselor."

"Oh really?" I asked, acting like this was news to me, "My classroom is right down the hall from the counselor offices. I'm a freshman English teacher."

"Nice," he smiled, as I gathered my mail, "Here let me help you. I'll walk you down to your classroom."

I tried to stay calm, but let's be honest; Edward was walking me to my classroom. I literally felt like I was in high school now. We walked together in silence until I stopped in front of my classroom. He walked in and handed me my mail.

"Here you go, Ms. Swan." He chuckled, looking at my name plate.

"Thanks, Mr. Cullen." I giggled and set it on my desk.

"I know I asked you earlier if you wanted to go to coffee or something, but I didn't expect us to run into each other again today. I was wondering if you wanted to come to my place tomorrow, since it'll be Saturday and have dinner, unless you have plans or a boyfriend, then that would be really awkward, and I think I'll just shut up now."

Teenage Bella just fainted. "No, no I'm single Edward, and of course, I would love to come over for dinner." I grinned.

"Oh thank God." He sighed in relief, "I'll text you my address later. Would six o'clock be okay with you?"

I quickly nodded and he smiled that crooked smile that made me want to scream like Alice would.

"Alright, I'll see you then."

Edward POV

Saying that I loved my new job was an understatement.

The whole way home, I couldn't stop smiling. I'd get to see Bella all the time. I couldn't believe she was there, and she looked absolutely gorgeous in that white blouse. And even though I babbled like an idiot, she's coming to my house for dinner.

Oh, shit. She's come over for dinner. I can't cook. I'll need a babysitter. What if she hates kids? But she works with kids. I'll have to hide all of Emily's toys for now. I want her to like me first, then I'll break it to her. She'll love Em after she meets her.

As soon as I pulled into my parent's house, my dad paused at the door. "What's wrong? Did you not like the job? I told you that I could get you some kind of job at the hospital."

"No Dad, I love it. I just might have met someone…" I shrugged.

"You met someone?" my mom shrieked, as she and Emily came running into the entrance hallway.

"Daddy!" she giggled and motioned for me to pick her up.

"Hey baby girl, did you have fun with grandma and grandpa?" I kissed her forehead.

"Mhmm…we colored and went to the park and fed the fishies and then grandma bought be a cupcake and a new barbie!" she giggled

I frowned at my mom. "You're spoiling her too much, ma."

"Oh well! She's three, Edward. Anyway, about this girl?" she grinned, motioning me to come sit in the living room.

"Her name's Bella. She's beautiful. She works at the high school with me, and we have a date tomorrow." I announced, tickling Emily, as she squirmed and giggled.

"Well you're dad's working but Emily and I will have a girl's night." She smiled.

"Ma, you don't have…"

"Shush. I can tell you like this girl. Just promise me that I will get to meet her." She smiled.

And that sealed the deal.

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><p>Phew! I finished this chapter pretty quickly! I'm really excited to start the next chapter, so I'm hopefully going to start that very soon! Edward's POV has been a little shorter, so I want to give him more thought in the next chapter! Any questions or comments, please don't hesitate to ask. Reviews are wonderful; I love reading them! Hope you're having a good day!<p> 


	4. Chapter 3

Hey lovelies! Thanks so much for all the reviews and adds! I really appreciate it! You all probably think I haven't walked away from my computer today, but I promise, I definitely have. I just keep getting ideas and once I sit down, I get the chapter written in under an hour. I'm hoping I don't hit a writer's block anytime soon! I'll probably be able to squeeze in an update tomorrow! Enjoy chapter three!

All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer

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><p>Edward POV<p>

It was just after two p.m. on Saturday, and I was panicking.

I texted Bella the directions, and she quickly replied, which calmed my nerves a bit. This means I won't be stood up. I had just fed Emily a quick lunch, and now it was time to clean and de-child-proof the house.

"Why don't you go upstairs and play with your new Barbie that grandma bought you?" I asked, praying I wouldn't get a million questions.

"Why daddy?" Yep, this child was definitely mine.

"Well, daddy is going to have his friend over, and he needs to clean the house."

"Jazz is coming over?" I laughed at my daughter. She was very observant and was obsessed with my friend, and Emmett's girlfriend's twin brother, Jasper Hale. She was only three and she was already crushing on boys.

"Nope, not this time." I chuckled and lifted her up, just as the doorbell rang. My mom was supposed to be here any minute to help me fix dinner, but I was surprised I opened the door. My mom was here, but she was followed by Emmett and Rosalie.

"Uncle Emmett!" Emily squealed and reached for him.

"Hey squirt. What's shakin'?" He grinned as he lifted her onto his shoulders.

"I thought you guys were out of town…" I sighed. As much as I loved my brother, he made more of a mess than Emily would.

"Just got back today. Good to see you too, Edward." Rosalie grinned and punched me in the arm.

"Do you think I am that heartless to miss little Eddie's date? There's no way in hell I would miss that!" He laughed loudly.

"Emmett, language." My mom scorned and started putting things together in the kitchen. "Edward, Emmett will be good. He'll get Emily out of the way while you clean, and Rosalie came to help me cook."

I breathed a sigh of relief as Emmett took Emily upstairs, and immediately went to cleaning.

At 6, everything was perfect. My mom had just finished dinner and it was now staying warm in the oven, and the three of them had taken Emily out for dinner. But not before Emmett yelled, "Get some!" out of the car window as they drove away. He was definitely not a good influence around my daughter. I had successfully cleaned up the living room, and made sure that all of Emily's toys had been taken up to her room or stuffed away, out of sight. I had just showered and changed into a pair of dark jeans and a white button up shirt.

I walked into the kitchen and began taking everything out of the oven, and got a bottle of wine out of the fridge. Just as I turned to set it on the counter, the doorbell rang, which caught me completely off guard. I missed the counter, and the bottle went crashing onto the kitchen floor, and seconds later I found myself covered in red wine. Shit, shit, shit. Doorbell or change clothes? Another quick rasp on the door broke me out of my thoughts. I decided to go to the door.

As soon as I opened the door, Bella's smile faded to concern. "Are you okay? What happened?" Moments ago, I had felt so embarrassed, but looking at her now, I couldn't care. She looked absolutely perfect. She wore dark skinny jeans, a dark purple tank top and black flats. Her hair was naturally waved, and she wasn't wearing much makeup. Amazing.

"Edward?" She asked again, biting her lip.

"Oh, sorry, wine busted when I heard the doorbell." I chuckled.

"Well good thing I brought another," she giggled, bring the bottle to my attention, "You go change real quick."

I ran upstairs and changed into new jeans and a new button up and rushed downstairs. When I made it to the kitchen, Bella was kneeling on the floor, cleaning up the shattered glass and spilled wine.

"Bella, stop, I can do that." She shook her head and pushed me away, "I'm almost done anyway."

After helping her clean up the mess, I took out the chicken, vegetables and potatoes out of the oven, and forced Bella to sit at the dining room table, even though she begged to help me.

"Wow, did you really make all of this?" she smiled, as I handed her a plate.

"…Yes." I mumbled, but suddenly felt bad, "…No. My mom and brother's girlfriend did. Don't judge me."

She giggled as she cut into her chicken. "Well then tell your mother and brother's girlfriend that they did a very good job."

"Hey, I cleaned the house." I smirked.

"It looks very nice," she commented with a laugh as we continued to eat. We fell into easy conversation about work, where we grew up and our family and friends.

"…I live with my college roommate, Alice. She has a new boyfriend, Jasper and she hasn't been home lately." She rolled her eyes.

"Wait a minute," I thought, trying to make a connection, "Is her boyfriend Jasper Hale?"

"I think so? I'm not really sure. I tune Alice out a lot, but I know he's in a band, and has a twin." She mentioned.

"Definitely Jasper Hale. He's my good friend, and his twin is who made this meal. She dates my brother, Emmett." I laughed.

"No way! Small freaking world." She grinned. We finished up dinner a few minutes later, and I figured we could watch a movie in the living room. And I could be closer to Bella. Dammit, Edward! You just met her yesterday, lay off.

"Why don't you pick out a movie, they're in the cabinet under the TV; I'll take these plates into the kitchen," I suggested.

She nodded and I watched her walk into the living room. Great view. Ugh, stop Edward.

I was rinsing off plates, when I heard Bella giggling in the other room. "Um, Edward…" she laughed, "since when do you watch Barbie and Dora the Explorer?"

Shit.

Bella POV

When I opened the cabinet for a movie, I couldn't believe it. Edward owned about 15 Barbie movies and 10 episodes of Dora the Explorer.

"Um, Edward…" I laughed, "Since when do you watch Barbie and Dora the Explorer?"

I heard a plate break in the sink and Edward nearly came running into the living room.

"Um, well, there's an easy explanation for that…" He replied nervously.

"Yes, obviously you have the desire to watch the same movies as a five year old girl." I giggled as I sat on the couch.

"Well, that's because I have a daughter…" He bit his lip, waiting for my response.

"Really?" I asked, very interested.

"Yeah, and if you're not okay with that Bella, then I don't know. I really like you and I like spending time with you, even though we just met but I can't see you if…" I quickly stood up and put my hand over his mouth.

"Shut up." I said sternly and grabbed his hand, pulling him onto the couch.

"First off, I like spending time with you too. Second, why would I not be okay with the fact that you have a daughter?" I smiled.

Edward looked completely shocked. "I just didn't want to freak you out."

"I'm not freaked out at all. How old is she? Why don't you have any pictures out?" I asked, looking around the house.

Edward jumped up and went into the closet, grabbing about five photo frames. "Well, I didn't want to freak you out, so I hid everything. And, she's three."

I rolled my eyes as he handed me the photos. "I love kids; totally not freaked out." I looked at the photos and I could completely see Edward in this little girl. "She's absolutely precious!" I smiled.

He grinned and tried to be sly as he put his arm around me.

"You're one of a kind, Bella." He sighed and kissed the top of my head.

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><p>Wow, I am exhausted, so if this isn't perfectly edited, I am very sorry. Reviews = wonderful! I love hearing from you all!<p> 


	5. Chapter 4

Hey all! Thank you so much for your kind reviews! This will probably be the only chapter out for today, but hopefully I can get a few more out before the weekend is over! I hope you all have a lovely Friday!

All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

P.S. This chapter will speed ahead a little. Not too much though

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><p>Bella POV<p>

I had only known Edward for two weeks, and I hated being away from him. But of course, we spent a majority of our free time together. Any type of break we had throughout the school day, he was either in my classroom or I was hanging out in his office. We spent every lunch together, and even a little time outside of work together. He came over for a movie night and double date with Alice and Jasper, and we even went out for a few casual dinners.

However, I hadn't met his daughter yet. It wasn't that I wasn't ready to meet her, it just wasn't the right time. Edward was ready; it was just the issue of how to explain this to Emily.

Over dinner one night, Edward hesitantly told me about his ex-wife. Considering that he had a daughter, I wasn't shocked about an ex-wife. What I was shocked about was the fact that this woman, Tanya, wanted nothing to do with her little girl. Edward explained to me that Tanya loved to go out and party before Emily was born, so he should've seen this coming. It didn't make up for it though. I could see the hatred for this woman in Edward's eyes.

It was Friday afternoon and I had just gotten home from school. Today was the day that I was supposed to meet Emily, and I was scared shitless. Why was I terrified to meet a three year old?

I had an hour before I was supposed to meet Edward at his house, and we would go to dinner from there. I had absolutely nothing to wear. So I did something that I probably shouldn't ever do….Ask Alice for help.

"How about this skirt?" She asked, holding up a black mini-skirt while rummaging through my closet.

"Alice, it's almost December, and I don't want this little girl mistaking me for a hooker." I sighed from my bed.

"Geez, grump. Hm. How about we go casual? Jeans, this cream blouse, and your black boots. Oh! And wear your red peacoat!" she grinned, proud of herself.

"Alice, you a genius!" I grinned, hugging her.

"That's what they tell me. But I do have one request…" She sing-songed, and I knew something was up.

"What…?"I grimaced.

"When you guys get married and this girl becomes my future niece, I get to dress her!" She smiled widely.

"Way to pressure things a little, Alice…" I scoffed.

A little over an hour later, I had pulled up in front of Edward's house. Please let this go smoothly. Please. I wasn't sure why I was so nervous, but then it hit me. If this little girl doesn't like me, then it would be over. Edward obviously wouldn't want to be around someone that his daughter hated. I took a deep breath and grabbed the Barbie picture book that I had brought. Yes, I was going to bribe her to like me.

I rang the doorbell once and Edward immediately answered.

"You look beautiful." He grinned and kissed me softly.

"Thank you, you look quite handsome." I smirked, kissing him back.

He quickly pulled away and smiled. "Before this gets any further, there's someone I'd like you to meet." Right Bella, you are here for a reason.

Edward took my hand and pulled me into the living room, where the most adorable girl was sitting on the floor with her eyes glued to the TV. She was wearing a dark blue dress with tights and the smallest brown boots I had ever seen.

"Emily, can you come here and say 'hello' to someone for me?" As soon as he called her name, Emily's eyes locked on mine and she came skipping to where we were standing.

"Emily, this is my friend Bella," He announced with a wink towards me.

Emily stared at me for a moment, then she broke out into a smile. "My name is Emily Carlee Cullen. You're pretty."

Phew. She didn't seem to hate me. "Thank you, Emily, you're pretty too! I brought you this," I smiled, handing her the picture book, "Your daddy said you loved Barbie."

She grinned and held up the book for Edward to see. "Daddy, Barbies!" she shrieked.

Edward shook his head at me and laughed, "What do you say, Emily?"

"Thank you!" She smiled, hugging my legs.

This night might be easier than I thought.

Edward POV

Emily absolutely loved Bella. I had never been so happy.

All the way to the restaurant, Emily talked Bella's leg off. She told her about her grandparents, her new house and other miscellaneous topics. I knew it was probably overwhelming, but Bella seemed to handle it all very well.

I pulled up to a casual restaurant and we were immediately taken to our table. Gotta love reservations, especially on a Friday night.

Whenever Emily and I went out to eat, she always begged to sit next to me in her booster seat. This time she froze.

"Hop on in, Em." I smiled, moving her booster seat into my side of the booth as Bella took a seat across from us.

"No." She shook her head, glaring at me.

"Emily, you have to sit down so we can eat." I lightly scolded.

"No daddy," She rolled her eyes, "I want to sit with Bella!" There's no way this child could be three.

I looked up at Bella apologetically, but she didn't seem to have a problem with it. She stood up and took the booster seat from me, then helped Emily into the booth.

I watched as Bella intently listened to Emily, and even helped her find what she wanted to eat. Tanya hadn't even been this patient and loving with Em. Right there I knew that I was in love with her.

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><p>AW! I'm extremely sorry that this chapter is short! But it was just a cute little chapter, and I promise there will be much more drama coming up! Reviews = awesome!<p> 


	6. Chapter 5

Hey guys! Hope you're having a good Saturday! I've been contemplating online shopping, so I thought it would be a good idea to start writing, so I don't run a hole into my bank account. (I am obsessed with American Eagle – add them on facebook for 20% off today and tomorrow.) Okay, time to stop endorsing. This will probably be the only chapter for today, but hopefully it'll turn out to be a little longer than yesterday's! OH, and thank you so much for your reviews! I was reading some this morning, and they make me so happy! Thanks for the love guys!

All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer

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><p>Bella POV<p>

After having dinner with Edward and Emily, I was in love with this little girl like she was my own. She was so smart, and so much like Edward. I wasn't used to being around kids all the time, so typically I would get annoyed with all the interruptions, but with Emily, it was the exact opposite.

Edward called me the next afternoon, wondering if I wanted to come over and spend the day with him and Emily. I immediately said yes, so excited to see those two again. As soon as I drove up to the house, I saw the curtains twitch and a little face peeking out through the bottom. I had barely made it up the first step when the door flew open.

"Bella!" Emily screamed, running out and hugging my legs in a Dora the Explorer bathing suit.

"What are you doing in your bathing suit, Em? It's freezing out here!" I laughed and hurried to get her inside before she got sick.

"Daddy said it was too cold for the pool so he let me go swimming in the bathtub!" she giggled and froze, just as Edward came running downstairs.

"Emily Carlee Cullen, did you answer the door? What did I say about that?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"It was just Bella!" She shrugged, hanging onto my leg.

"What if it wasn't Bella? What if it was a stranger?" He sighed.

"I looked out the window first, duh daddy." She giggled and ran upstairs.

"She's three going on sixteen," he shook his head and chuckled, "How are you, love?" he asked, kissing my head.

"Good. How was swimming in the bathtub?" I giggled.

Edward narrowed his eyes. "I didn't go swimming, thank you very much." He chuckled, eyeing me.

"What? Your daughter was the one who said it!" I laughed. Before I could stop him, Edward tackled me to the couch, tickling me.

"Stop, Edward!" I giggled, out of breath.

"Say you're sorry!" He laughed, not letting me up.

"Okay, okay, sorry! Please stop!" I said, pushing him away. He finally let me up, just as Emily came running downstairs.

"Bella, don't play with Daddy! He's boring, come play with me!" Emily demanded and grabbed my hand. Edward scoffed towards Emily, but gave me a look basically saying, "You don't have to," but I honestly didn't mind. As I stood up, Emily cheered and ran back upstairs.

Edward shrugged and stood up also. "I guess I got out of playing Ken for once. I'll go make us some lunch."

Edward POV

I couldn't believe how well Emily was taking Bella. I don't think she saw the connection that I wanted Bella to be my girlfriend yet, but I was just happy that she wanted Bella around.

I searched my kitchen for a minute, and instead of risking food poisoning, I stuck to making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Easy enough. Just as I was about to call the girls down, the doorbell rang. Before I could even go to answer it, said visitor walked on in.

"Hey little bro! You made me lunch! Thoughtful!" Emmett grinned, grabbing a sandwich.

"Hey Em, nice to see you know how to wait for people to answer the door." I rolled my eyes.

"I know everything about you, Eddie. There's nothing to hide." But there was. Bella was upstairs, and, of course I wanted her to meet my brother and family, but I hadn't even had the chance to ask her to be my girlfriend yet.

"Uncle Em!" I heard Emily shriek from the top of the stairs, and I knew Bella was bound to follow. Emmett immediately went for the living room, and I ran after him. Here goes nothing.

"Hey shortie!" Emmett grabbed Emily as she came running down the stairs, just as Bella was visible from the top of the stairs. "Oh and hello there…new hot nanny, Edward? Nice. " Emmett chuckled.

Bella blushed and slowly came down the stairs. "Emmett, shut it. Bella, this is my annoying brother, Emmett." I sighed.

"OHH." Emmett nodded, suddenly making the connection. "Hey Bella, so you're the one who Eddie was spazzing out about the other night."

Bella chuckled, blushing even deeper. "I guess I am. Hi Emmett."

"Bella is Alice's roommate, you know, who's dating Jasper?" I announced.

"I see. You know Bella, I could give you some serious dirt on Eddie here. Did you know that when he was in elementary school he called the teacher mom?" He chuckled, changing the subject.

"Enough, Emmett…" I growled, glaring at him.

Bella giggled and took Emily's hand. "Why don't we let you two chat for a minute? It was nice meeting you, Emmett."

"You too, Bella. Oh wait! Mom's having a little barbeque next weekend, she would love for you to be there!" Emmett suggested, "Good food, plenty of baby pictures of Edward…"

"Sure, I'd love to." Bella laughed, taking Emily upstairs.

"Well, I did all I needed to do today. I like her!" Emmett announced.

"Thanks for the entertainment, Emmett." I sighed.

"No problem! Anytime! We should double date sometime!" He chuckled, taking one last sandwich and heading for the door. "Just wait until I tell mom that I met your girlfriend before she did. She'll be pissed."

There was no doubt about that.

Bella POV

I spent the rest of the day at Edward's after Emmett left. Needless to say, Emmett was hysterical. I grew up without any brothers or sisters, so Emmett seemed like the perfect embarrassing older brother. As soon as he left, Edward kept apologizing, but quickly dropped it after I brought up the fact that he called his teacher "mom."

"It was a mistake! I swear! I was only seven!"

"Okayyy Edward…I believe you." I giggled.

A few hours later, we decided to go pick up some Chinese, and watch a movie back at the house. Emily sat intently on the floor of the living room, eating chicken and rice while she watched 'The Little Mermaid.' Edward and I started out sitting about a foot apart, but when the movie ended, I was lying across his chest and he had his arm around me. I started thinking that he had fallen asleep until he sat up gently and looked over at the floor.

"Em's out." He chuckled, and sure enough, light snoring came from a few feet away. I smiled, taken by how adorable she looked when she was sleeping. I let Edward up, and he picked up Emily's sleeping form from the floor.

"Be right back." He grinned and went to tuck her in. A few minutes later he came downstairs, looking very nervous.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, taking his hand and pulling him down next to me on the couch.

"Uh, no. Everything's perfect." He grinned and kissed my forehead. "I just need to ask you something, Bella."

"Anything," I smiled faintly, thinking the worst. Was he going to tell me that he didn't want to see me? Or that he didn't want me around Emily? Pull yourself together, Bella.

He sighed for a moment, then smiled at me. "I don't really know how to say this, so I'm just going to ask," He admitted, taking a deep breath, "Bella, do you want to be my girlfriend."

And then I fainted. No, not really. But I definitely felt like it. I was turning into the freshmen that I taught in class.

"I would love to be your girlfriend." I grinned, trying to stay calm.

"Oh thank God." He smiled widely. "If you would've said no, I don't know what I would've done."

"You're silly." I laughed. "If I didn't want to be your girlfriend, I wouldn't be here right now."

"You could just be using me for my daughter. She's known to be more charming than I am." He laughed.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm doing." I laughed, biting my lip as he started to lean in closer. Edward kissed me softly, and immediately the kiss deepened as I pulled him closer.

"DADDY!" Emily screamed from her bedroom.

Edward and I both groaned at the same time, but I quickly shrugged it off. Emily was much more important.

"I'm so sorry." Edward chuckled as he ran upstairs. Seeing that it was starting to get pretty late, I started picking up our plates and started cleaning up the living room a little. Edward came jogging downstairs a few minutes later.

"Sorry, bad dream. Mermaids were attacking the house this time." He laughed, then noticed that I was cleaning. "Bella, stop, I can do that later."

"I really don't care, I want to help."

"It's just a few plates and blankets out." He shrugged. We quickly picked up the living room together, and then I got my purse to leave.

"I had a really good time with you guys," I smiled as he walked me to the door and kissed me softly.

"Me too. I think Em really likes spending time with another person besides me all the time." He laughed. I kissed him once more and started walking towards my car.

"Wait, there's one more thing." He added quickly before I opened the door. "I'd like you to meet my parents next weekend. I know Emmett already covered the invitation, but they'd really like to meet you. Plus it's another way to spend time with me." He joked

"Of course I'll be there." I smiled, "But just to spend more time with Emily, you're alright." I laughed and hopped in my car.

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><p>Wow I am exhausted. I started this much earlier and it's starting to get late now. Of course, I probably won't sleep for a while once I get ready for bed. Reviews = fantastically awesome. I'll probably have an update tomorrow. This week might be trickier for updates because I have friends and family coming back home from vacations, so I'll try to at least start chapter 7 tomorrow after chapter 6 is out. Thanks guys!<p> 


	7. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! Oh wow, I read some of your reviews last night and this morning, and you guys are amazing! Thank you so much! There might possibly be an update tomorrow, but this week is a little busier, so I'm not sure exactly when it will be, but definitely soon! I was pretty productive this weekend at least! Anyway, enjoy this chapter and have a good day!**

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><p>Bella POV<p>

The last week had been one of the best weeks that I'd ever had. I knew that Edward and I were moving quickly, but I definitely didn't have any second thoughts about being his girlfriend. I did have second thoughts about meeting his parents though. From what Edward said they were very nice, but I couldn't figure out how we were going to have a 'barbeque' when it was pretty cold out.

"Rose was telling Jasper that Esme always has parties like this. She'd throw a Christmas party in the middle of June if she could." Alice laughed, going through my closet. She was also going over to the Cullen's later, since Emmett had passed on the invitation to everyone. I was a little relieved to know another person, but I was still panicking.

Alice scrutinized me closely, and then turned back to my closet. "I say go casual, but not too casual. Jeans, long sleeve shirt, scarf and your boots." She grinned, throwing clothes at me.

I sighed in relief, loving her choice. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Alice."

"I know, now hurry up, I want to meet my future niece!" she giggled, skipping out of the room.

As soon as I finished getting dressed, the doorbell rang a few times.

"Got it!" Alice yelled and I heard her shriek excitedly. "You must be Edward and Emily. I'm Alice! It's so nice to finally meet you both! She is so adorable!"

I quickly finished up my hair and makeup and hurried into the living room before Alice could freak them out anymore with her never-ending energy.

"Bella!" Emily yelled and came running towards me.

"Hey Em, I missed you!" I smiled, picking her up.

"Missed you too!" she smiled, wrapping her arms around my neck. Edward smiled as he watched us for a few moments, then stood up and came towards us.

"You look beautiful, ready to go?" He asked, kissing my forehead.

"Yeah, I think so." I replied, nervously.

"Don't worry, they'll love you." He smiled, taking Emily from me. Alice handed me my purse and walked us to the door.

"Jasper and I will be there a little later after he gets off work. Don't do anything embarrassing without me there!" Alice laughed.

"Thanks, Alice." I rolled my eyes, following Edward out to the car.

Edward, Emily and I stayed pretty quiet throughout the short car ride to his parent's house. Before I knew it, we had pulled up in front of a beautiful white house, and Edward took my hand and kissed it.

"Seriously, don't worry, they already love you." He smiled. I took a deep breath and nodded. Emily quickly snapped us out of our thoughts, squealing in the backseat for her grandparent's. I climbed out and let her out of her car seat. She quickly ran for the front door, and Edward and I tried to keep up. Just as we reached the front steps, a pretty woman with caramel-colored hair, opened the door, smiling. She picked up Emily and motioned for us to come in.

"C'mon guys! It's freezing out here! Oh Edward, you were right, she is beautiful!" The woman, who I assumed was his mother, said excitedly.

"Ma, you're scaring her!" Edward sighed, shaking his head.

"Sorry, sorry! It's so nice to meet you, Bella! Edward has told us so much about you! I'm Edward's mother, but please call me Esme." She grinned, hugging me with Emily still in her arms. Just as the backdoor slammed, Emily tried to break away, running towards a blonde-haired man, holding a plate of food. I could definitely tell where Edward got his good looks.

"Grandpa!" Emily yelled, demanding to be picked up.

"Hey Em, just a minute. Your grandma decided to have a barbeque in December, so let me put this food down." He smiled sheepishly, looking at his wife.

"Oh shush, Carlisle! Come in and meet Bella!" Esme smiled. Carlisle quickly set the food on the table and picked up Emily, making his way into the living room towards me.

"It's really nice to meet you, Bella. Edward really knows how to pick them." He shook my hand as I blushed.

"Okay—enough of that…" Edward rolled his eyes as the front door flew open.

"I have arrived!" Emmett chuckled, followed by a beautiful blonde woman who I assumed was his girlfriend.

Esme rolled her eyes. "My sons are full of themselves." She shook her head as she went to greet them, and then headed to the kitchen to help Carlisle.

"Bella! I knew you'd be here!" Emmett grinned, patting me on the back, "This is my lovely girlfriend, Rosalie. Oh whoa, mom has food already out!" He immediately ran for the kitchen.

Rosalie laughed and shook my hand. "Sorry about that Bella, he's crazy." We all gathered in the kitchen, helping Carlisle and Esme when they needed it. It wasn't long before Alice and Jasper arrived. I hadn't met Jasper yet, but I knew he was just what she needed. While Alice was full of energy, Jasper was very reserved but had a good sense of humor. It was easy to see that he and Rosalie were twins too. Rosalie was also quiet, but not as quiet as Jasper. They both also had matching blonde hair.

Edward POV

I was feeling completely at ease throughout dinner. Bella fit in with my family and it was easy to tell that Esme loved her. They were even making plans for lunch and to take Emily to the park. After dinner, we all gathered in the living room for coffee and dessert. Emily was so excited to see all of her relatives, and even took to Alice well. It wasn't long though before she was passed out on Bella's lap.

Bella was sitting on the floor, leaning against my leg when I nudged her. "Ready to take her home?" I asked.

"Yeah, she's exhausted." She added, slowly standing up and picking up Emily with her. My parents walked us to the door, helping us gather everything.

"It was so nice to meet you, Bella." My dad smiled, patting her on the back.

"Yes, please come by anytime! Don't hide her, Edward!" My mother added, hugging us.

"I won't, I promise!" I smiled sheepishly.

Bella seemed to love my family. I knew that they could be a little over the top sometimes, but she and my mother already had a really good relationship. She even talked about having me meet her parents, but they had recently moved a few hours away after her father took a new job as the police chief.

The next Tuesday was a pretty busy day for me. I had to work on fixing schedules for a group of students, I had a meeting after school and I had to pick up Emily before five since my parent's had a charity dinner tonight. When Bella walked into my office for lunch, she could see that I was stressed.

"What's wrong?" She asked, sitting down in the chair across from me.

"I've got so much to do, and a meeting after school but I have to go get Em first and bring her here because my parents are busy tonight." I sighed.

Bella thought for a moment. "I'll watch her."

I shook my head, not wanting to make her feel burdened. "Bella, you don't have to. She'll be fine here."

"No it'll be fine, I promise. I'm not doing anything. I'll pick her up after school." She smiled.

It took me a while to decide, but I finally gave in. I knew Emily would be completely bored here, so I gave Bella my extra key, promising her to call me if she needed me.

"You're seriously the best girlfriend ever." I grinned, kissing her softly.

"I know." She grinned, leaving my office as the tardy bell rang.

Bella POV

As soon as school ended, I went to Carlisle and Esme's to pick Emily up. I thought that she would be disappointed that Edward wasn't there, but she seemed pretty excited. The entire way back to Edward's house, she told me everything that she did today with Esme. It made me so happy to see that she was happy. I could get used to this.

When we got to Edward's, we played up in her room for a while, but as it started to get closer to dinnertime, I took her downstairs and she played in the living room while I cooked. I was just about to put the chicken in the oven when the phone rang loudly.

"Hello?" I answered.

No response.

"Hello?" I asked again, about to hang up.

"Hi, Um, is Edward Cullen there?" The high voice asked hesitantly. Immediately, I froze. Why was this woman nervous about calling Edward?

"Uh, no, not right now. May I ask who is calling?" I asked, biting my lip.

"Is Emily there?" Now I was scared. Why did this woman want to know if Edward's three year old daughter was there?

"Can I please know whose calling?" I asked again, nervously.

"Um, this is Tanya."

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><p><strong>Wow. Okay sorry to leave off with a little cliffhanger, and I know Edward didn't get too much thought in, but I wanted to add a little drama in. Reviews are amazing, and I hope you like this chapter! <strong>


	8. Chapter 7

Hey all! Finished all my homework for this weekend, so I am getting a head start on chapter 7. Not too sure how long it's going to be yet, or when it will be out but at least no more major cliff hanger, right? Also, thanks for all the adds that you guys have been doing throughout the week! I really appreciate all of my readers!

I own the story, Stephenie Meyer owns the lovely characters

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><p>Bella POV<p>

As soon as the woman on the other end said she was Tanya, the phone loudly slammed against the kitchen floor. What was I supposed to say? Do I hang up on her? What would Edward want me to do?

I quickly composed myself, and grabbed the phone off the floor.

"Um…they're not here…" I squeaked in desperation.

Tanya sighed noisily into the speaker. "When will Edward be back? Does he still live in Forks or did he move again? And who the hell are you?" She questioned.

At that point, I had absolutely no idea what to say, so I just hung up as quickly as I could. Why did she suddenly have interest in Edward and Emily?

Not knowing what else to do, I called Edward, getting his voicemail. I called about two more times, never getting ahold of him. I figured he was in a meeting, but I just wanted him back home.

Edward POV

After about an hour and a half of back to back meetings with parents and students, I was ready to go home to my girls. I grabbed my bag and then reached into my desk for my phone, which was flashing red, signaling a missed call.

Bella 5:01 pm

Bella 5:03 pm

Bella 5:04 pm

Shit. As I dialed her number, I prayed that nothing was wrong with Em.

"Edward!" Bella sighed as she answered the phone on the second ring.

"What's wrong? Is Em okay? Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yeah, we're both fine. Listen, I really have to talk to you about something…"

"Oh thank god. When you called, I thought something was wrong with you or Emily. What is it?" I asked, backing my car out of the staff parking lot.

She paused for a brief moment. "Tanya called."

I slammed on my brakes, forgetting what I was doing at the moment. I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. What did she want?

It took me a few minutes, but after several cars passing by, I finally realized where I was again. I didn't want to risk getting into an accident, so I told Bella I would talk to her when I got home.

As soon as I got home, I sat down with Bella and she told me about the conversation. I was so thankful that Bella hung up when she did; I didn't want Tanya knowing where I lived in Forks.

"What do you think she wants, Edward?" Bella asked, as she pulled dinner out of the oven.

"I have no idea." I sighed, but secretly, I had a hunch. Either way, I wasn't going to let Tanya ruin my evening with the two girls that I loved. I kissed Bella on the forehead and ran upstairs to get Emily for dinner.

Just as I was putting Emily into her high chair and listening to her describe her day with Bella, the phone rang again. Bella shot me a nervous look and I sighed as I grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" I answered anxiously.

"Edward? This is Tanya, I'm so glad you answered." She replied.

Bella POV

Edward had been up in his bedroom for the past few hours, yelling at Tanya. All of the yelling had been upsetting Emily earlier, so he moved the conversation to his room. I had fed Emily, played with her and now she was watching a movie with me in the living room because she couldn't sleep. Daddy was using his "angry voice" and it was scaring her.

I definitely wasn't into the movie as much as Emily. I was trying to listen to Edward, and I had a feeling I knew what was going on by the way Edward was yelling.

The two phrases he kept repeating? "You'll never get her," and "Why do you suddenly care now?"

As it was getting later, I was getting more and more anxious. I didn't care that work was going to be hell tomorrow or that I would get about four hours of sleep. I just wanted to know everything was okay with Edward.

Just as Emily was asleep, Edward emerged from his bedroom, pale as a ghost and angry.

"What's going on?" I asked timidly.

"She wants her, Bella. She wants full custody of Emily when she's never even taken care of her for one fucking day in her entire life." He sighed as he stormed into the kitchen.

I bit my lip as Emily stirred but luckily fell back to sleep. I rubbed her back for a moment, then went into the kitchen where I found Edward sitting at the table. His eyes were all red and he was running his hands through his hair.

"I'm so sorry, Edward. This must be killing you." I kissed his head and wrapped my arms around him.

He took a deep breath and looked up at me. "Must be killing me? Bella, it is killing me!" he yelled.

I bit my lip and crossed my arms. "I'm sorry Edward. It'll be okay."

"How can this even be okay, Bella? How do you know? You've never even had a child. You wouldn't know what it's like. I would appreciate it if you wouldn't try to act like you knew what I am going through" He yelled.

Tears started immediately streamed down my face. I knew he was angry with Tanya, but why did he have to take it out on me? I shook my head and stormed into the living room, grabbing my stuff.

Just as I was putting my shoes on and heading out the door, Edward grabbed my hand.

"Bella, I am so sorry. I didn't mean any of that. I'm just freaking out over this whole thing." He pleaded.

"Maybe you should've thought of that before you took it out on me." I shook my hand free and headed for my car.

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><p>Ouch! Wow, well I finished this in one afternoon! I know it's kind of short, but I'm getting back into the groove of writing. Anyway, any reviews will be amazing! I'll try to get another chapter out as soon homework doesn't take over my life once again!<p> 


	9. Chapter 8

**Hey loves! Thank you ALL for your lovely reviews! They make me so happy and I love getting email notifications about them. This chapter will be a little bit longer than the last because I'm writing it over the span of a few days. Enjoy!**

**Story belongs to me, and characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.**

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><p>Edward POV<p>

My life was a mess.

Not only am I currently about to take my ex-wife to court over our daughter, but I potentially ruined my relationship with my amazing girlfriend.

As soon as Bella left the night that Tanya had called, I didn't know what to do. I started with putting Emily to bed, and then I lost it. I couldn't lose her. If Tanya got ahold of her, she would never let me see Emily.

After I calmed down a little, I spent the rest of the night trying to get ahold of Bella. Around 4 am, she turned off her phone and I got sent straight to voicemail every time. I sent her a few emails begging for forgiveness, and then I tried to sleep unsuccessfully for two hours.

Now I have to force a smile and put all my worries to rest because the person who matters most is sitting in the backseat asking me a million questions.

"Daddy, will Bella come over?" Emily asked as I pulled into the driveway of my parent's house.

"Um, not tonight, sweetie." I sighed as I took her out of her car seat.

"Why, daddy?"

"Bella might be busy later." I tried to smile as my mom answered the door and took in my appearance.

"What's wrong?" She asked, as she took Em.

"I'm going to be late for work, mom. I've got a lot to do before classes start today."

"Alright, we'll talk later…" she threw me an unhappy look.

_Great, another thing to worry about; Mom's reaction to my screwed up life._

Before she could ask any more questions, I ran out to the car and made my way to Forks High School. Before heading to my office, I made sure to stop by Bella's classroom. The lights were off and the door was locked, so I knew she was trying to avoid me; she was usually always at work before me.

The school day dragged on, and I never even got the chance to see Bella. When I was free, she had a class, and during my lunch, of course, I got called into a meeting with the principal. As soon as the bell rang for class to be out for the day, I grabbed my bag and nearly ran down to her classroom. Once again, the lights were out.

"She raced out of here about two minutes ago." Angela, the teacher next to Bella's classroom replied.

"Oh okay, I'll see her later, I guess." I shrugged and smiled.

"She didn't seem too happy today, she was very quiet." She commented.

After talking to Angela, I had to go catch up with Bella. I usually stay after school for a while, so it wasn't going to be a problem picking up Emily a little late at my mom's house. I figured Bella would probably head straight to her apartment if she was having a bad day, so I started there.

I only had to bang on the door once before I got an answer, but it wasn't the one I wanted.

"Oh, it's you." Alice sneered and tried to shut the door in my face.

Luckily, I stopped it before she could close it all the way.

"Alice, let me see her!"

"First off, you're an asshole, second, she's not even here." She sighed, surprisingly leaving the door open so I followed her in.

"I know, and she's avoiding me so I don't know how to fix this."

"She told me the whole story. I know that you're upset with the whole Emily situation, but you need to respect her. She stayed most of the night to take care of YOUR child. You need to show her that you were wrong for yelling at her and that you care about her." She crossed her arms.

"You're right. She won't answer her phone though, and you won't tell me where she is." I sighed.

"I swore to secrecy that I wouldn't, but I think I can maybe help you fix it." Alice grinned mischievously.

Bella POV

After Edward yelled at me, I was in no mood to deal with him.

Before work the next morning, I left my phone off and in my bedroom drawer. When I had come home in tears, I obviously had to tell Alice what had happened, so she knew my phone wouldn't be with me all day. I told her I was going to the library after school for two reasons: Edward wouldn't find me, and I wouldn't go straight home and mope around the house.

I left for work pretty late to make sure there wouldn't be a run in, and luckily, he didn't come and find me during lunch. _Maybe he didn't come to work today. _I knew that he was probably up all night, worrying about the situation with Tanya, so I didn't blame him if he didn't want to face work today. Even though I was mad at Edward, I was worried about Emily.

As soon as the last bell rang for the day, I ran to my car and went straight for the library. As soon as I opened my grading book, I found a note from Edward that he had written earlier this week. _Have a good day! _

_Ugh, less thinking about Cullen, more work. _

I spent the next two hours grading papers and thinking about my fight with Edward. Finally, it was time to head home for the day. I had a bottle of wine in the fridge with my name on it.

Pulling into the driveway, I noticed that Alice's car was gone, which was weird since she got off work at four. Another strange situation: Edward's silver Volvo was sitting a few spots away from mine.

I let myself into my apartment slowly, not sure what was going to happen. I still wasn't ready to face Edward, but I knew I had to forgive him. He was going through a tough time as it was right now.

"Hello?" I called out as I set my bag down and looked into the kitchen. Nothing. No one was in the living room either, so I was most likely imagining the Volvo outside of my apartment. I need to lay off the caffeine.

I took off my coat and headed for my bedroom, not expecting a room full of flowers and candles.

I looked around in shock, finally setting my eyes on Edward sitting on the bed.

"How did you…Did Alice let you in?" I asked.

"Yes, and Bella, you may hate me right now, but I am so sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you at all, I was just upset, and you do so much already for Em and I. I will do whatever it takes to make you forgive me." He sighed, anxiously.

"Wow…" I breathed. "I was pretty upset, but I can't stay mad at you, Edward. I know you're under a lot of pressure right now." I bit my lip moving closer to him.

He closed the gap between us, kissing me gently. "I'm so sorry…" He breathed.

"Shhh…" I smiled, kissing him back.

"I know this is soon, Bella, but I love you."

"I love you too, Edward."

* * *

><p><strong>AHHH. I know I said I wouldn't post this tonight, but I lied, and got a lot done. It's a little shorter than I wanted, but it was actually a good stopping point for me, so yeah! I'll post next when I can, and I'm hoping to get to 50 reviews before the next chapter? Thank you already for your reviews and enjoy your second chapter of the day!<strong>


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